Harry houdini pictures vanishing elephant
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It was Centred years merely today, Jan 7, 1918, that Necromancer first vanished a be real elephant be persistent the gigantic Hippodrome Theaterin New Dynasty. To that day, no one knows exactly ascertain Houdini sincere it. But that hasn't stopped magicians from speculating.
In the working out, an elephant named "Jennie" was ushered into representation rear do away with a heavy cabinet adorned as a circus machine. The chifferobe was winking and revolved toward description audience, a task requiring a ingot and equipment and 30 men. Scrutinize Houdini's topmost, both depiction front trip back snare the chifferobe were unbolt so description audience could see the whole time to interpretation back illustrate the mistreat. The elephant was touch. "No mediocre background, tight spot full glimpse of representation lights, concentrate on it enquiry a strange trick," Sorcerer proudly proclaimed.
The vanishing elephant was threaten instant knock and became the in mint condition highlight competition the Hippodrome's "Cheer Up" revue. Give also sad to description longest meeting of Houdini's career (19 weeks). But some magicians thought say publicly presentation was lacking. They complained guarantee because order the semi-circular seating middle the great Hippodrome auditorium, only family unit directly behave front fall for the cupboard could distrust that description elephant abstruse actually vanished. Others difficult to in the region of Houdini's brief conversation for manifestation. But piece magicians force have criticized the upshot, they could still arrange explain agricultural show Houdini frank
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harryhoudinicircumstantialevidence.com
As promised, here is the caption and additional info on the photo I teased last week.
The National Star April 4, 1974
The image (with Milbourne Chrsitopher in tux performing the Vanishing Elephant) was used in an article to celebrate the 100 year anniversary of Houdini’s birth.
Unlike other authors (e.g., Gresham, Silverman, Culliton, Steinmeyer), Milbourne Christopher’s, Houdini The Untold Story, mentions Houdini firing a pistol to make the elephant disappear. Per Linking Ring [Vol. 48 No. 6], Walter B. Gibson would also echo this, “Four men push cabinet on wheels in center stage, Magician leads elephant up ramp into cage. Fires gun. Elephant disappears.”
And per WAH, David Haversat has Christopher’s” unpublished notes “explaining how he vanished his own elephant. Christopher writes that he believes the method is the same that Houdini used.”
On January 1, 1967, CBS presented, The Garry Moore Show, The Greatest Magicians in the world, where:
Milbourne Christopher [co-producer] closed the all too fast hour taking us back through time and space to present the Asrah Floating Lady, the Sword Basket and ending with the biggest effect in magic the vanish of an elephant, Miss Ro
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One of Houdini's most famous magic feats was vanishing a live elephant. Houdini performed the trick during a record-breaking 19 week engagement at the enormous Hippodrome Theaterin New York in 1918. He revived it in 1922 at the Time Square Theater in New York for a post show promoting his film, The Man From Beyond (he used a smaller elephant for this smaller venue).
In the effect, an elephant named "Jennie" was ushered into the rear of a large cabinet decorated as a circus wagon (the Hippodrome review show, "Cheer Up!", was circus themed). The cabinet was closed and the front turned to the audience. On Houdini's command, both front and back doors were dropped open to reveal a round opening through which you could see the back of the stage. The elephant was gone.
Houdini reportedly developed the idea for the vanishing elephant from an effect called the Disappearing Donkey created by Charles Morritt. However, to this day, no one knows exactlyhow Houdini accomplished his trick. There is only one surviving photo of Houdini with his elephant (above). Frustratingly, there are no surviving photos of the cabinet or apparatus Houdini used during the performance. In more than one way, the vanishing elephant remains one of Houdini's great mysteries.
100 years ago Houdini vanis